Spider and slip construction



SPIDER AND SLIP CONSTRUCTION Filed April 9, 1942 7o 66 INVENTOR 3 a. 5. Taylor ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPIDER AND SLIP. CONSTRUCTION James S. Taylor, Tulsa, Okla.

Application April 9, 1942, Serial No. 438,351

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved spider and slip construction for use in connection with cable or rotary drilling tools of an oil well, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation to an improved means for the manipulation of the slips in the operation of suspending or pulling tubing, casing, and the like employed in well drilling.

Spider and slip constructions in the past have given considerable difliculty in synchronizing the vertical movement in the operative or inoperative action of the slips so that the slips are moved substantially simultaneously into and out of engagement with the tubing or the like. In applicants prior Patent #1,650,101, issued November 22, 1927, dowel pins were used between the slip segments in order to assure unison in the movement of the slips into operative or inoperative position. However, this construction has not proved satisfactory due to lost motion in the operating mechanism for the slips to cause a variance in vertical movement.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a spider and slip construction in which movement of the slips from either an operative or inoperative position is synchronized thereby assuring that one slip will not move faster or slower than a complementary slip, and thereby providing an equalized biting action against the tubing string.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a spider and slip construction which is simple in its action, eliminates unnecessary working parts and assures a positive action in a most expeditious manner.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a spider and slip construction for efi'ecting a synchronized vertical movement of the slips relative to the bore of the spider, and simultaneously spreading the slips in the raising operation so that the lower portion of the slips are moved out of position away from the tubing more expeditiously.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the invention showing the slips approaching a position of operative engagement.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the slips in raised or inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the invention with the slips shown in operative position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the spider comprises an annular body portion 2 having an annular flange 4 forming the base therefor. In practice the flange 4 is adapted to be supported on a tubing head, derrick floor, or the like. The

outer periphery of the annular spider body 2 is of varying diameter and is provided with tapered portions 6 and 8 respectively. The body 2 has a vertical bore IU of varying diameters provided with inner tapered portions I2 and I4. The lower portion [5 of the bore 2 is substantially cylindrical about a vertical axis. The upper portion of the body 2 is formed with an annular flange I6 to which is secured by welding or the like the supporting arms for the operating mechanism to be hereinafter described.

A pair of segmental slips l8 and 20 are adapted to fit in the vertical bore In of the spider 2. The slips are constructed with varying diameters 22 and 24 having outer tapered portions in conformity with the inner tapered portions l2 and 14 of the vertical bore ID. The inner peripheries of the slips are arcuate and are preferably provided with a plurality of serrations (not shown) to efiect a biting engagement with the tubing and the like (not shown) in an operative position.

The supporting bar 26 and arms 28 are welded to the upper ring l6 of the spider 2 and support the operating mechanism for the slips in order that they may be manipulated from a lower operative to a raised inoperative position, or vice versa. The bar 26 is secured at the top of the flange I6.at one side of the spider body, and is provided at its opposite ends with apertured ears 30. The support arms 28 are disposed substantially medially of the ring 5 and are formed with apertured ears 32. The ears 30 and 32 are each provided with apertures 34 in substantial horizontal alignment acting as bearings for the freely rotatable shafts 36 and 38 extending therethrough. The parts 26 and 28 are rigidly connected by bars 35. The shafts 36 and 38 each has a crank arm 40, 42 extending substantially perpendicular thereto. One end of each of the cranks 40 and 42 is provided with an aperture (not shown) for receiving a bolt 44. The upper portion of each of the slips is provided with upstanding spaced projections 46 and 48 having aligned apertures 49 adapted to receive a bolt 44 in order to connect the slips with the crank arms 40 and 42 respectively to provide a hinge connection. Cotter pins 50 (Fig. 2) hold the bolts in position. The opposit end portions of the shafts 36 andv 38 are threaded to receive nuts 52 acting as spacers between a side of the bar 26 and cranks 54 and 56 secured in any conventional non-rotative manner to the shafts 36 and 38.

As will be apparent in Figures 1 and 2, the crank arms are reversally arranged so that in operative position, the crank arm 54 extends to receive projections 60 of a connecting rod 62. The projections may be secured to the arms by cotter pins 64 or the like. In a position substantially halfway its length, the connecting rod is provided with a projection 66 disposed in a substantially horizontal plane for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth. A slip operating arm or handle is secured to the spider 2 by a bolt 68. A spacer 12 separates the arm 10 from the bar 26. The arm 10 includes a fulcrum 14 arranged perpendicularly thereto and preferably integral therewith. The fulcrum 14 is provided with a lost motion slot 16 in which the projection 66 of the connecting rod 62 is disposed.

At a position diametrically opposite the bolt 68 the spider 2 is broken away at 18 providing a slot for receiving an insert member 80 held in place by a bolt (not shown) secured through the bearings 82 having aligned apertures (not shown) therefor. The insert member 80 is part of the spider 2 and can be removed to allow the spider member to be moved around a pipe, tubing or the like without the necessity of raising the same.

Operation 40- and 42 to raise the segmental slips l8 and 20 vertically upward relatively to the bore H]. In practice it will be apparent that the invention canbe utilized with two slips of one segment, each, but I prefer to utilize two slips, each of two segments or more. The advantage of using segmental slips of this nature is toallow the slips to spread apart in the raising operation so that the lower portions of the slips can be moved out of position away from an operative position more expeditiously than would a slip having only one segment. From Figure 3 it will be apparent that the slips I8 and 20 are separated at 86, and in addition each slip is divided in two segments as shown at 88.

' With the slips in raised inoperative position as shown in Figure 2 upwardmovement of the freely rotatable operating arm 10 reverses the operation of the cranks and connecting shafts to move the arms 40 and 42 downwardly, which in turn moves the slips into operative position. In order to assure that the slips will be synchronized in their vertical upward or downward movement into or out of the vertical bore Ill, the lost motion slot I6 is provided in the pivotal fulcrum T4. The projection 66 fits into the slot 16 which construction equalizes any lost motion between the two reversally disposed cranks 54 and 56 thereby as suring synchronization in the movement of the actuating means for the slips so that one slip will not come up faster or slower, as the case may be, than the other slip. By synchronizing the movement of the slips in their vertical movement, there will be no variance in the amount of the bite or frictional engagement each slip makes against the tubing, or the like in operative position.-

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the spider and slip construction synchronizes the actuating means for moving the slips from either an operative or inoperative position. Further:

more, the construction and arrangement of theapparatus is such to reduce the overall heighth approximately one-third, thereby providing a disposition of the spider body on the tubing head which will not be awkward or cumbersome to the mechanic, especially assuring a low position whereby accessibility to the makeup tongs above the slips is facilitated. Furthermore, the slips in raised inoperative position are disposed sub stantially out of the bowl or bore of the spider body in order to prevent any possibility of the tubing contacting the slip serrations and cansing an actuation of the slips into operative position.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawing, it being understood that any modification inthe precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a well tube gripping device, the combination of a body having a tapered opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips extending into the body, seated on the tapered seat and adapted to grip a well tube, parallel crank shafts journaled in the body, operatively connected to the slips, and each provided at one end with a rigidly connected crank, one of the cranks being extended upwardly and the other downwardly, a rod having its ends pivotally connected to the cranks for use in simultaneously moving the slips, a handle pivotally connected to the body, and a slot and pin connection joining the handle to the medial portion of said rod.

2. In a well tube gripping device, the combination of a body having a tapered opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips'extending into the body, seated on the tapered seat and adapted to grip a well tube, parallel crank shafts journaled in the body and operatively connected to the slips for use in simultaneously moving the latter, each shaft being provided at one end with a rigidly connected crank, one of the cranks being extended upwardly and the other downwardly, a

1 connecting rod'having its ends pivotally connected to the cranks, a handle having a medial portion pivotally connected to the body and pro vided with an elongated slot at one end of the handle, and a pin projecting from the connecting rod into the slot and arranged about midway between the length of the rod.

3. In a well tube gripping device, the combination of a body having a tapered opening'pi'ovid ing a slip-engaging seat, slips extending into the body, seated on the tapered seat and adapted to grip a well tube, parallel crank shaftsjoiirnaled in the body, an arm rigid with one of the said crank shafts and pivotally connected to slips at one side of the body, another arin rigidly united with the other crank shaft and pivotally. connected to slips at the opposite sideof, tfi'e'bo'dy, opposed cranks rigidly connected with "said shafts, one of the cranks being extended upwardly and the other downwardly, a rod havingits ends pivotally connected to the free vend portions of the cranks, a handle having" an intermediate portion pivotally connected to the body, and a fulcrum pin projecting from theinedial portion of said rod and movablyconne'cted to an end portion of the handle, whereby movement of the handle will cause synchronous movement of the slips.

JAMES s. TAYLOR. 

